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Digital Painting Level 1: Fundamentals of Digital Art Techniques

This is a 4-week Digital Painting course where you'll learn digital painting fundamentals while learning to paint simple subjects such as objects, landscapes, people and realistic faces.
Chris Chien
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(854)
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What's included

4 live meetings
3 in-class hours
Homework
1-2 hours per week. Students will be given digital painting assignments every week that allow them to practice what we covered in class. Feedback is giving to those who submit their homework on time.
Assessment
Upon submission of the homework, instructor will offer critiques and paint-overs for the student homework, allowing them to improve upon their digital paintings.

Class Experience

Intermediate Level
New to Outschool? Enjoy $20 off this class with promocode: CHRISCH20 (New users only).

This is a class for beginner digital artists who want to learn basic digital painting fundamentals. Every week, we will delve into different topics, covering a new digital painting technique each week.

-- LEARNING GOALS --

βœ… Make digital painting easy and natural so it's just like drawing on paper!
βœ… Understand the "rules" of digital painting, and why it's so different from traditional drawing.
βœ… Understand how to use layers and why to use them.
βœ… Learn which brushes are most important, and which ones you don't need.

-- SCHEDULE --

πŸ”° Week 1: Still Life. We will paint a still life of a cup. You'll learn the alpha lock technique, enabling you to effortlessly paint smooth gradients.

πŸ”° Week 2: Landscape. We will paint a landscape of a mountain scene. You'll master the multiply layer technique, seamlessly adding color to your pencil drawings on the computer.

πŸ”° Week 3: Character Design Exercise. You will design your own character. You'll discover the clipping mask technique, allowing you to integrate shadows and introduce color variation into your artwork.

πŸ”° Week 4: Realistic Portrait Painting. During our final week, we'll paint a realistic portrait, integrating all the techniques learned in the previous weeks. We'll also work on controlling opacity and managing layers.

-- HOMEWORK --

Students will be given digital painting assignments every week that allow them to practice what we covered in class. Students will receive positive and constructive feedback on drawings to get their paintings to a more professional level! 

-- PREREQUISITES --

⚠️⚠️⚠️ ATTENTION: THIS IS NOT AN INTRO COURSE. Students are required to have a minimum of 1 MONTH of experience using their digital painting software prior to joining the class.

Because every student will use different software, I will not be covering basic tools extensively. This class goes over more of the artistic principles of digital painting. Students should be familiar with basic digital drawing tools such as using their digital pencil and eraser.

If you are not sure if your student is ready to take this class, please send me examples of their artwork for a free consultation.

-- SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE --

This is an all-inclusive class where I'll be teaching in Photoshop, but alternatives such as Procreate, IbisPaint, Krita, Fire Alpaca, and Clip Studio Paint are all welcome.

Students should have a pressure-sensitive tablet and pen. It is also recommended for students to have 2 monitors for the best learning experience: one for the class video and one for their digital painting software.

Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions. Excited to welcome you to the class!
Learning Goals
-- LEARNING GOALS -- 

βœ… Understand the "rules" of digital painting, and why it's so different from traditional drawing.
βœ… Understand how to use layers and why to use them.
βœ… Learn which brushes are most important, and which ones you don't need.
βœ… Make digital painting easy and natural so it's just like drawing on paper!
learning goal

Syllabus

4 Lessons
over 4 Weeks
Lesson 1:
Painting an Octopus Cup
 We will paint a still life of a cup. You'll learn the alpha lock technique, enabling you to effortlessly paint smooth gradients. 
45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Painting a Mountain Landscape
 We will paint a landscape of a mountain scene. You'll master the multiply layer technique, seamlessly adding color to your pencil drawings on the computer. 
45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Character Design Exercise
 You will design their own character. You'll discover the clipping mask technique, allowing you to integrate shadows and introduce color variation into your artwork. 
45 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Realistic Portrait Painting
 During our final week, we'll paint a realistic portrait, integrating all the techniques learned in the previous weeks. We'll also work on controlling opacity and managing layers. 
45 mins online live lesson

Other Details

Pre-Requisites
Students should be proficient with drawing people, bodies and faces. In addition, students should have AT LEAST 1 month of experience with their digital painting software and be able to carry out basic digital painting commands with ease.
Supply List
- Computer
- Digital Painting Software (like Procreate, IbisPaint, Krita, Fire Alpaca, or Clip Studio Paint)
- Drawing Tablet and Pen (like a Wacom tablet or iPad)
- It's a good idea to have 2 screens (1 for your computer and 1 for your tablet) to make it easier to follow along with the lessons. If you only have 1 screen, you can try using your phone as a second screen. Having 2 big screens is best so you can see everything clearly.
Β 2 files available upon enrollment
Language of Instruction
English
Joined March, 2020
5.0
854reviews
Star Educator
Popular
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Carnegie Mellon University
Chris Chien is a concept artist for the Themed Entertainment Industry, having worked on award winning projects such as Universal Beijing (Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement-Theme Park  2023) and Sesame Street Land at Seaward Orlando (Voted #1 Best New Amusement Park Attraction in USA Today's 10 Best Reader's Choice Awards, 2020). He is currently an art teacher on Outschool platform, where he ranks among the top 1% of art educators. 

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Live Group Course
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$75

for 4 classes
1x per week, 4 weeks
45 min

Completed by 26 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-16
3-11 learners per class

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